TongTong
Sign in

扎实 (zhā shi) — solid; firm; practical

Definition

扎实 describes solid, grounded work or skill (扎实的基本功, 扎实的研究) — practical and thorough rather than flashy. Closer to 务实 in its practical focus, but stresses firm foundation more than pragmatic mindset.

adjective
solidfirmpractical

Examples

  • 扎实。
    Tā de gōng fu liàn dé hěn zhā shi.
    His kung fu skills are very solid.
  • 扎实，。
    Zhè ge bào gào nèi róng zhā shi, shù jù kě kào.
    This report has solid content and reliable data.
  • 扎实，。
    Zuò xué wèn yào tài dù zhā shi, bù néng fú zào.
    Doing research requires a down-to-earth attitude, not impatience.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

扎zhāfirm
实shísolid

The senses of 扎 and 实 both point to firmness, giving 扎实 a solid, practical meaning.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
乙
乙yǐ扎zhā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

扎 is built from 手 (hand) and 乙, which gives the sound.

Open 扎 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 實; 实 is its simplified writing.

  • 宀宀miánroof
  • 周周zhōucarved jade
  • 貝貝bèishellfish; cowrie

The traditional form 實 has 宀 'roof' above 周 'carved jade' and 貝 'cowrie'; the simplified 实 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 实 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Good & Bad

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.